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THE LIBRARY OF THE 
UNIVERSITY OF 
NORTH CAROLINA 
AT CHAPEL HILL 


ENDOWED BY THE 
DIALECTIC AND PHILANTHROPIC 
SOCIETIES 


UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAP 


ANNUM 


00036915062 


FEB 17 i976 | | 


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This book is due at the LOUIS R. WILSON LIBRARY on the 
last date stamped under “Date Due.” If not on hold it may be 
renewed by bringing it to the library. 


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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2023 with funding from 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 


httos://archive.org/details/fairytalesfancieOOsied 


FAIRY ‘TALES 
AND FANCIES 
By ANNA SIEDENBURG | 
pi 
” 
Illustrated by 
the Author.. 3 | ) 
| CHICAGO & 1895 


COPYRIGHT, 1895 
ANNA SIEDENBURG 


THE LITTLE LADY OF THE COURT. 


The king of the songs was standing 
o%——e on the platform of his castle at the 
. seashore and listening to the storm. 
~ }y He liked to do this; there were great 


cs é songs in the storm, and wonderful 
>: %g) melodies in the 
~ rustling of the 
waves, and 
4 from ocean and 
JP storm he learned 
his most beautiful 
songs. 

\ It was near day- 
break ; the storm grew softer and softer and died away, when 
the ocean joyfully greeted the rising of the sun. There was 
a sea-gull coming all alone over the water to the shore, slowly 
moving, and reaching the place where the king stood, it fell 
down at his feet and stayed there motionless. 

_ The king lifted it up, and gently caressed the beautiful 
snow-white bird, and as he lifted the wing, which seemed broken 
bythe storm, there was a shivering passing through the mo- 
tionless body of the bird, and like a flash it changed, and the 
king held in his arms a lovely little maiden, clad in a snow- 
white garment, and with a band of pearls in her golden hair. 
She sighed, and looked at the king with eyes that did not seem 
to realize life. 

‘‘ This is a wonderful surprise !’’ said the king. ‘‘ Thanks 
to the storm that brought thee hither. But how couldst thou 
lend thy wings to such a storm, poor little thing ?’’ 

_ And, as he was speaking thus, he carried the little maiden, 


8/3 
S44 Fé £ 6 ¢ * > ’ ej vA 


who did not speak nor move, in hisarms to 
\. his castle. Breakfast was just prepared, and 
#, the court was waiting for the king. The 

Y: ‘A lady of ceremonies made a very critical face, 
| ASS when the king came in with a pretty maiden 
XY in his arms, but he handed it over to her 
\and said with a voice so tender and soft 
that it even touched her conventional heart: 


she met with a storm where you never dreamt of. And when 
she is rested, give her the place of honor by my side; she 
shall be my little lady of the court.”’ 

And so she was ; the favorite of the king, the little lady of 
the court. 

The most beautiful roses of the garden, the rarest fruit, were 
picked out for her. The king himself would look out for the 
most tiny flowers and put them in her hair, saying that they 
seemed to be made just for her. 

The king was not a faultless king, but believed himself to 
be so, because he was surrounded by flattery. ‘The little lady 
of the court was the first one who told him the truth, and she 
did it in such a way, that it did not hurt but rather amused 
him. The first time she heard him sing, and the court could 
not find words enough to praise him, she was sitting there 
silently with downcast eyes. 

‘‘And you, my little lady,’’ asked the king, “‘ you tell me 
nothing ?”’ 

Then she raised her eyes to him and the eyes told more— 
much more—than any word could do. 

The king, famous as he was, and seldom as he used his 
voice, yet often sang for the little lady of the court, for her 
alone ; and while he sang, he read in her eyes, where a gentle 


8 


ones CMOS? oe e EO 
Se Sete ae OAL Bee Stas eS. Sees a 


soul unfolded herself to hisown. But the king was given to 
moods. There were days when he shut himself up in his room 
and sang nothing but scales and exercises all day long, when 
he would be angry if he could not sing the high C as well as 
usual, and he would see nobody, not even the little lady of the 
court. 

It was on such a day, when he stepped out of his room into 
the hali, where the ladies were sitting embroidering, and flirt- 
ing, by the way, with the counselors. 

‘* Where is my little lady of the court?’’ asked the king. 
No one had seen her. é 

Impatiently he stepped out on the platform. 

There she was sitting, all alone, on the very spot where she 
once fell down a sea-gull, with broken wings. ‘The king took 
her tiny hands that lay clasped in her lap, and said: ‘‘Do you 
think your king capricious and fickle, my little lady? —No, I 
am not! But you know, I just found out that all mv songs are 
nothing; but that one which I read in your eyes—it is the 
truest, the sweetest—the song of love. Come to my heart and 
teach me !”’ 

But she looked at him with sad eyes and said: ‘‘Do you 
not hear the storm come? It comesfor me. ‘There is no love, 
no rest forme. Asa wandering bird, I must go again across 
the wide sea. But I will think of you, oh, I will think of 
you !”’ 

As she spoke, her voice grew fainter, and she vanished in 
the air. 

Not far from the place where the king stood, there was a 
sea-gull lifting its wings with a band of pearls around the neck; 
it moved slowly towards the ocean; then moving quicker and 
quicker as the rising storm seemed to carry it across the dark 
and roaring water. 


The king has learned the song of love. 

Only he can sing it who has learned love’s sadness. And 
often he is standing on the platform at the seashore, watching 
the wide horizon, watching if there will not a sea-gull come 
back and fall down at his feet with broken wings. But none 
ever comes. 


HOW A TRUE STORY BECAME A FAIRY TALE. 


owt = A ann ig Spring had come again, the 
: =~ gardens were covered with 
== flowers, and choirs of night- 


light green veil seemed to 
spread all over the old cas- 
: tles which look down on the 
‘green Rhine. ‘There stood 

ee pe == 00 a lonely hill an old, old 
tree. ‘The green veil of Spring made a strange contrast to his 
withered branches. 

But when the night dew fell, and the stars sparkled, and 
the air was filled with the perfume of Spring flowers, that old 
tree seemed to reach up to the sky. The branches began to 
glow in a magic light and the leaves were sparkling like 
emeralds, for this old tree was a witch tree, in which all the 
fairy tales of the Rhine lived. As they were coming forth from 
the hollow tree, some seemed to be like fair petals of a beau- 
tiful flower; others were sparkling all over like rubies and dia- 
monds, and among the fair ones there were some which 
reminded one of goblins. In an endless chain they came forth 
from the tree, and as they moved down to the Rhine with their 
long waving veils, they seemed like a bright cloud, that swept 
over the hill. 


8 fe) 


OR Nek EN A se i SO COR IRN LI OREN OS neR gdeaaSs S 
nea aS? Ae Ce Ee ee ESOS Mel 


When they were all gone, there was a little figure left right 
under the old tree; she sat there and wept. 

‘‘Why didst thou not go with all the others?” said the 
old tree. 

‘*Ah, dost thou not see that I have no wings? The fairy 
tales would not take me along ; they are proud, and only think 
kings and princes their equal. Oh, if I could but have wings 
and bea fairy tale. But I am just a true little story. And 
people will not believe me, and will not cherish me, because 
they say I cannot exist in the bustling time of the present.’’ 

‘‘And which is the story which thou hast to tell?” asked 
the tree. | 

‘‘A story of a true love, of a love unto death.’’ 

‘Yes, people believe no more in such stories,’’ said the old 
tree. “‘ When I was a young tree, one believed in it. But 
listen, you will find there under the stone the wings and veil of 
a fairy tale, which is long dead; you can take them and thus 
become a fairy tale yourself.” 

And the true little story took the wings and the veil of the 
bygone fairy tale, flew into the wide country, and told the tale 
of a true love, of a love unto death. And wherever it came, it 
was welcomed, and people said: 

‘*Oh, what a sweet, touching fairy tale!” 

How pleasant, if we meet in the realism of our life with 
such a tale! 


THE MAN WITH THE MASK. 


Once upon a time there lived a very bad man, who was so 
ugly that the children ran away when they caught sight of 
him, and grown-up people were afraid of him, for his words 
were poisonous and hurt, and he destroyed all that was good 
and beautiful. 


it 


One evening when he went out to look for some poisonous 
herbs, he saw in the shadows of twilight an old woman sitting 
near the woods, who was still uglier than he. 

‘“‘ Well, we can console each other,” said the bad man, ‘‘for 
Isee you are not particularly handsome either. Oh, how I 
hate them, these perfect ones who are proud and boast of their 
noble qualities, and who treat me like a dog which they 
detest !”’ 

‘You could be treated differently,’’ said the old woman. 

‘‘Yes, if I only could have better looks!’’ said the bad 
man. 

‘* You cannot change that, but you could wear a mask. I, 
too, wear a mask, and am treated tolerably well; look, do you 
realize still in me the ugly old woman?’’ 

She had taken a mask and put it on her face; it did not 
bear any more the character of a detestable hag, but looked 
quiet and friendly, though it was the friendliness of a cat; and 
the piercing glance of her eye was half covered by heavy eye- 
lids. 

‘‘T am hypocrisy,’’? shesaid, ‘‘If I should show my true 
face, I should not get along well in the world; but with this. 
quiet and friendly mask I do splendidly ; slowly but deadly acts 
my poison.’’ ” 

‘‘Could you not give me such a mask, too?’’ eagerly asked 
the bad man. | 

“Yes ; look here: the pleasant mask of flattery; it changes 
not only your face, but all your manners. You will seem 
agreeable to people and get as many friends as you had ene- 
mies. But I cannot give you this mask for nothing.” 

‘“What do you ask me?’”’ 

“‘Before a year is gone, you must bring me twelve innocent 
young hearts; the mask will make it easy for you to obtain 


12 


ee ares Aras age? 
PLAGE TAD A Pats ee Beers 


Bee (eee Glo: 


them. You will find me every first of the month here on the 
same spot. But let me tell you that you have to take the mask 
off at night, as it would be your death if you should wear it 
all the time.”’ 

The bad man agreed upon the conditions, and so the old 
woman put the mask on his face. 

At once he seemed to be entirely transformed. Meanwhile 
within him the devil lived just as before; he had the looks ofa 
pleasant and even kind man. And asthe old woman had told 
him those who formerly were his enemies became now his 
friends. He obtained wealth and honors, and every month 
he could keep his promise and bring to Hypocrisy an innocent 
young heart, which she swallowed eagerly. 

When he had brought her all but one,she said: ‘‘I want 
something particularly nice now. Far in the north lives a 
fisherman’s beautiful young child; she works night and day 
for her poor blind mother. In the wide world there is nothing 
as pure and untouched as herheart. If you can bring it tome 
in a month, you may keep the mask.”’ 

Then the bad man traveled to the north, where the fisher- 
man’s child lived at the lonely seashore. And he tried all the 
tricks of flattery to win her pure heart, but in vain. 

The month was near its end, and slowly the heart of the 
‘beautiful maiden seemed to bend to the pleasant stranger. 

But one night a disastrous storm swept over the seashore 
and the bad man, to save his life, escaped from the house with- 
out thinking to take his mask, and the maiden saw him by a 
flash of lightning in all his ugliness. The flash of lightning 
had struck him to death, and the mask of flattery was carried 
off by the waves. 

But it is not the only one which Hypocrisy has to bestow. 


THE SNOW-WHITE PRINCESS. 


Once upon a time there was a princess 
who looked so pale that one would 
have thought she had not a drop of 
blood in her veins, if it had not been for 
her mouth that was red like a cherry. 
Wy Her long, white hair surrounded her 
AN). like a veil of silk. Though the prin- 
“cess was so pale, and had white hair, 
she was beautiful, and who once had 
looked 4 in her eyes could never forget them. Above her cry- 
stal palace wonderful trees entwined their blooming branches, 
and never allowed a sunbeam to enter; so that there was a 
cool, pale light, like the dawn before the rising of the sun. 

Beautiful white flowers perfumed the air, the seats were of 
white silk, and the floors were covered with white furs, which. 
made every step inaudible. It was so still, oh, so still! Not 
even a bird sang. But in the middle of the hali splashed a 
fountain out of which grew a strange and beautiful flower, red 
as the mouth of the princess. In this realm, which was cool 
and charming like a moon night in May, the princess lived all 
alone. 

Sometimes a wandering poet, who had lost his way in the 
forest, had found her realm of flowers and seen her walking 
in her park, or bent over one of her white blooming sisters, and 
his songs told of the snow-white princess with the cherry-red 
mouth. But no one ever had entered her palace. 

The princess had a faithful guardian, a beautiful New- 
foundland dog. 

One morning when she was walking in the park, she had 
found him there. It seemed that he had lost his master, for 


14 


pleading eyes, had followed her and not left her again; and 
she called him True. 


One day when the princess was resting in her park, she 
noticed that True became very restless. He was lifting his 
head in the air, running up and down along the hedges of 
white roses, and then disappeared suddenly. It was quite a 
while before he came back, and then he was not alone; he was 
followed by a handsome young man in a hunting costume. 
True was walking quietly beside him, looking up sometimes 
with clever eyes at his master. The young prince stopped 
when he noticed Snowwhite, and asked if he might enter her 
realm of blossoms. 

‘**Certainly,’’ said she, ‘‘if True allows thee.”’ 

‘Ah, thou dost not know then that True is my dog?”’ 
said the prince. ‘‘I never thought to find him again, nor did 
I ever dream that he should introduce me in such a beautiful 
realm. For here seems to be eternal Spring, and thou art the 
most beautiful of all the blossoms.”’’ 

But the princess was thinking of True, who was likely to 
leave her now. 

‘* And thou wilt take True with thee?’’ she said sadly. 

“‘Oh, no! Keep him as long as thou wilt. He will feel 
happier with thee. But may I come sometimes to see him ?’’ 

‘‘ And canst thou not stay here?’’ 

‘No, child. Ihave to rule a kingdom. Here it is too 
quiet and beautiful forme. But I will mark the trees to find 
my way back here, and I shall come again, if thou wilt have 
me come.”’ 

‘Ves, come again !’’ said Snowwhite, and lifted her dreamy 
eyes to him. ‘Then he bent down to her to kiss her brow. 

‘* How beautiful thou art !’’ said he, and departed. 


15 


True followed his former master a few steps; then he 
returned and laid himself down at the feet of the princess. 

She stayed a long while on the same spot, and when she 
rose, she felt for the first time how quiet it was around her. 
Then she spoke with True about his master, and he seemed to 
understand her so well. She had never seen him so clever. 

And on a fresh and beautiful morning the prince came 
again. He put a dark red rose in Snowwhite’s hair and said 
that was one of the flowers which were growing in his 
kingdom. 

‘‘ And it is not quiet in thy kingdom ?’’ asked Snowwhite. 

‘*No, there are too many people for it to be quiet.”’ 

‘‘ And thou dost like the noise ?”’ 

‘‘Not that, but the life. There I feel that Ilive. Here is 
no life—just a beautiful dream. May it last for thee, child.”’ 

‘* But I too will live !” said Snowwhite. 

“Thou wouldst never be happy !’’ said the prince. ‘Thou 
wouldst fade and die like a flower in the burning sun of life.” 

‘“No; not when thou art there!’ said Snowwhite. ‘‘’Take 
me with thee. Let me behold the sun—let me live!’’ 

Then the prince kissed her lips and said: ‘‘Thou lovest 
me!’’ And a faint blush spread over Snowwhite’s cheeks like 
the first blush of morning. 

Then the prince said: ‘‘Come with me. I will carry thee 
into the sunshine.’’ And he lifted Snowwhite into his strong 
arms, and she leaned her cheek on his and felt happy. 

There was a sighing passing through the trees, a shower of 
blossoms dropped down on the young couple, and a gentle 
zephyr whispered a farewell. 

The prince carried Snowwhite through the dark forest up 
toa hill. But when they reached the top, there was sunshine, 
and at their feet lay spread the wonderful world. 


16 


er. Fe nse Y 
Pe tes OG: 


‘*Dost thou 
hear how loud it beats? Dost thou realize what life is? More 
glorious than the world down there is my love for thee!”’ 

‘Then her cheeks became red, and her hair golden like the 
sun. 

And she felt that she lived. 

And the prince took Snowwhite to his kingdom and made 
her his queen. é 

Has she become happy down there in the glorious world? 

She has never felt quite at home. She has always stayed a 
snow-white flower, though her cheeks were red now and her 
hair golden. 

And sometimes when the old dream of spring flowers is 
passing through her soul, she speaks with True about it, and 
True understands her. 


THE LITTLE RAILROAD. 


In Norway, where the bears still live in the dense forests 
and the giants on the mountains, was a little railroad walking 
around. She walked very slowly, because she had just 
arrived, and was not quite used yet to the new tracks. Nature 
was so grand and wild, so majestic in its beauty, and the rail- 
road was so small and cute, just like a pretty toy. But the 
people who live in Norway came and looked at it with amaze- 
ment, because they had never seen such a thing. 

“Yes, look at me, said the railroad !’’ and she made whiffs 
of steam that were larger than she herself. ‘‘Lookat me! I 
did come to make you all civilized. Look in my parlor car, 
with the velvet cushions and red curtains! Between your bare 
rocks it is indeed very tiresome to walk; but what will not one 
do for charity ?’’ 

And the little railroad went slowly on. Every moment she 


17 


stopped and allowed herself to drink some water, because she 
saw so much salt-water that it made her thirsty. 

But the rocks grew wilder and the passage so narrow that 
she began to sigh. On the top of a steep rock the king of the 
giants was just taking his afternoon nap, and he was 
awakened by the sighing of the little railroad. 

‘‘Gracious me!’’ he said yawning, ‘‘ what ridiculous little 
thing is this, walking here through my land! Behaves as if 
it were a princess, and is not larger than my forefinger. Stop, 
you odd thing!” 

‘‘No, thank you !’’ said the little railroad. ‘‘In an hour I 
must be at the next station, and the roads here are very 
miserable indeed !’’ 

The king of the giants grew wild, and stretched out his 
big hand down to catch her, but the little railroad began to 
run. Oh, how she could run now! 

The giant sat there on his rock and looked after her 
wondering ; he had never seen such rapidity. 

Then he fell asleep again and when he awoke he laughed 
about that odd dream that he had had. 

But in the night he awoke again from the ‘‘Puff, puff!’’ of 
the little railroad. It was just as if she would vex him; her 
eyes were fairly gleaming with mischievous joy. The giant 
looked drowsily down from the rock, but then she blew steam 
in his face, so that he began to cough and his eyes became 
sore. “‘Just you wait,’’ grumbled he, ‘‘ when you come again, 
you shall not pass alive.’’ 

And he gathered some big stones together to have them 
ready to throw down when she passed. 

And really, about noon she dared to come the same way 
and seemed to be in very good spirits, blowing steam as much 
as she could. 


z8 


ZS 3G, 


tz Sse ee ae 
(SZ fee = Zee 


Cz, 


‘‘T shall put an end to your areas ?’ thundered the king 
of the giants, and down he flung the big stones. But the little 
railroad laughed and ran as quickly as she could. And the 
stones only crushed some poor huts down in the valley. 

“Thank you!’’ said the little railroad. ‘‘Oh, how un- 
civilized you are! I shall make you leave if you do not 
change !”’ 

And every noon and every night she awoke the king of the 
giants from his sound sleep, so that he became restless and 
could not sleep any more. And because he was too old to 
change and to become civilized, he gave up his throne on the 
rock and went to the Northcap where there are no railroads 
yet. 

But the little railroad enjoys her life; of course men do not 
look any more at her as if she was a wonder, and the vel- 
vet cushions and curtains in the parlor car are no more so 
brand new, but all has become civilized, very much civilized, 

and the little railroad is appreciated. 


THE TALE OF THE PRINCE WHO HAD NO HEART. 


Once upon a time there was a prince who 
was looked upon as something abnormal 
by the people, for they said he had no 
heart. 

No, surely he could not have any heart, 
for all the charming young ladies at his 
court had laid their hearts down at his 
-. feet to exchange it for his, but he laugh- 
hes ingly had passed them, saying: ‘‘I have 
no heart.’’ The prince liked festivals, when he would thor- 
oughly enjoy himself, and among others he arranged one, where 


19 


everyone had to appear in the costume ofa fool. And on this 
occasion he proved again that he had no heart, fooling the 
most dignified people and snatching the masks from the faces 
of those who dreaded most to be recognized. 

At this festival there was a young girl for the first time 
introduced at the court, and she was so small and modest that 
nobody seemed to notice her. She was sitting alone in a 
corner, looking at all the splendor around her and thinking: 
‘* Oh, if I could dance, too!”’ 

And just when she was thinking thus, the prince was pass- 
ing by with the lady of ceremonies, and seeing the little lady 
sitting all alone in the corner, he said: 

‘‘Who is this charming young girl? She has not been in- 
troduced to me!”’ 

‘‘Vour Excellence will excuse me,’’ said the lady of cere- 
monies, ‘‘ but she is so insignificant that I had not noticed her.’’ 

‘‘How can one overlook such a lovely child? I had 
rather dance with her than with you,’’ said the prince, and 
approaching her he asked her to dance with him, and left the 
lady of ceremonies alone in all her dignity. 

While the court seemed to be stupefied by the behavior of 
the prince, he did not care, but danced with his little lady all 
around the hall, and she thought that she was dancing right 
into heaven, so happy she felt. 

And the prince danced the whole evening with her alone,: 
and at the table she had to sit beside him, and he chatted 
away so pleasantly that she almost forgot he was a prince. 

But the ladies of the court carried their noses very high and 
wondered how the prince would take any trouble with such an 
insignificant girl. 

When dinner was over, there was some music in honor to 
the prince; but when a lady sang such a sad song that all 


20 


Vege g | 
a Tamebice 


go into the park ; it seems so close here.”’ 

And he took her hand and led her to the park. 

**Look, how bright the moon shines!’’ said he. ‘‘ More 
beautiful than all the lights within; and listen how sweet the 
nightingale sings! much sweeter than all these ladies.”’ 

‘‘T wonder that thou shouldst feel it,’’ said the little lady. 
‘*For thou, poor prince, hast no heart.’’ 

‘* And thou believest it ?’’ said the prince and smiled. And 
he put a precious jewel in her hand, and said softly: ‘‘ Thatis 
my heart. ‘Take good care of it, that never one of the ladies 
ever find it; for they do not need to know that I have a heart; 
if one shows it to everybody, it loses its value.” 

And many a good and kind word spoke the prince to the 
little lady in the bright moonlight. But when they returned 
in the hall, the lady of ceremonies took the little lady aside, 
and said: ‘‘ Beware of the prince. He has no heart !’’ 

But the little lady smiled, and thought of the jewel he had 
given her. She knew better. 


OLD LIBERTY BELL. 


Once upon a time there was a little curious fairytale, who 
wanted to see where all the big ships with so many people 
were going, and one night when a big steamboat was prepar- 
ing to leave for the ocean, it sat down on the top of the mast 
and left too. Splendid it was on the ocean, and a fairy can 
enjoy it, because she does not get seasick. But the journey 
came to an end, and the people on board welcomed the land, 
as if it were the land of the promise. 

‘‘T wonder how it will be,’’ thought the curious fairytale, 
who had seen until now only the lonely seashore, and people 


21 


and ships only from a distance. She hid herself behind a great 
trunk and she was put with other trunks on a large express 
wagon. ‘Therein she made the long ride over the street pave- 
ment and was so shaken up, that she became quite dizzy. She 
could not escape, either, because she was pinched between the 
trunks. 

‘‘ What thing is that !’’ said the expressman, when he got 
the trunks down and noticed the white little figure. But the 
fairytale spread out her wings, gave him a little fillip and 
escaped. She flew over the great crowded city. It was just 
evening ; people rushed and thronged down there in the bright 
gaslight. A long, pompous procession moved on through the 
streets ; music with many drums ahead; gentlemen with white 
hats on, carrying their canes like guns over the shoulder, a 
flower in the button-hole; girls who carried flowers, and boys 
who burnt firecrackers and screamed: ‘‘Hurray !’’ 

‘‘T must try to go with them,’’ thought the curious fairy- 
tale, and made herself comfortable on one of the big white 
hats. And she was herself so white and small, that nobody 
noticed her. Now the gentlemen, too, screamed, ‘‘Hurray!’’ 
and it was such a noise, that the music was entirely drowned 
in it. 

‘* This is going to be tiresome,’’ thought the fairytale, when 
the march seemed never to come to an end; but at last the 
procession stopped on a free place near the water. There stood, 
on a throne draped with flags, a gorgeous old bell. 

Allthe gentlemen took their hats off at sight of this old 
bell, the children put their flowers down on the throne and the 
flags, which looked withered like the old bell, and all were 
suddenly silent as if they were in a church. After a while 
there was a speech made, of which the fairytale did not under- 
stand a word, because she had not yet learnt to talk English. 


22 


down right in front of the bell among the flowers, and many 
thought that they saw a spirit sitting there. 

The speéch came to an end, and all screamed again : ‘‘ Hur- 
ray!” The gentlemen put their hats on and the train moved 
slowly back. 

But the fairytale was tired and stayed in her place. 

‘* You must be at least a queen !’’ she said to the old bell, 
** because every one makes so much of you.”’ 

“We have no kings nor queens in this country !’’ said the 
old bell. 

‘*Yes, the country seems to me very strange!’’ said the 
fairytale. ‘‘For instance I have never seen gentlemen wear- 
ing white hats, and some people look quite black in the face. 
You are also pretty rusty.”’ 

‘Ves, Iam so old!”’ said the bell. 

‘‘’Then you can surely tell me, why so many come to this 
country. Idonot think it nice to live in these narrow streets. 

What do they come for?”’ 

‘* Because they find liberty here !’’ 

** And why do they make so much of you ?’’ 

‘* Because I was the first one who rang for liberty.” 

**Oh, that is beautiful !’’ said the fairytale. ‘‘ Yes, liberty 
is great and beautiful. But how can she live in such narrow 
streets?’ 

‘*She is not bound to the place; she has wings.”’ 

‘But you do not ring any more for liberty?’’ said the 
fairytale. ‘‘I see that you have a crack.’’ 

*“Yes, I am so old; my duty is done.’’ 

** And yet one honors you so much and covers you with 
flowers ; not everybody who has done a good work is rewarded 
like you are. Pray, give me one of your flowers ; then I will 


23 


And the Old Liberty Bell gave to the fairytale a flower, 
which grows free and wild in the woods—America’s National 
flower—Goldenrod! 

But the fairytale flew back to the shore of the Northsea 
and told the tale of the old bell, and thousands listened, and 
thousands travel over the blue water to the land of promise, 
the land of Liberty! 


THE TALE OF THE GREAT PRINCE. 


Once upon 
a time there 
Jw wasa prince 
1) who was so 
/ tall that he 
; had grown 
six feet above the 
head of his pa- 


4 “larger; his will was 
} also six times stronger 
“ than his parents’, so that 
they did not know what 
to do with him. He was 
just as obstinate as he was 
tall, and when he insisted 
v (Vv WOES on doing something foolish, 
LEE eg WL and pounded with his big 
fist on the table, the whole house trembled, and his parents, 
too. They thought, therefore, it would be the best thing to 


24 


G as: yeh dq ‘ { » 
BOX (Seah. aaiys at my 


Eh 


get him married, but it was very difficult to find a girl any- 
where near his size. 

The tallest ladies of the kingdom were invited to the twen- 
tieth birthday of the prince, and hidden in the dining-hall 
behind a curtain; and when the splendid dinner was almost 
over, and the prince in good humor because his favorite cake 
had just been served, his mamma told him that she had still 
a special, pleasant surprise for him. She went to draw the 
curtains aside, and there stood all the tallest ladies of the 
kingdom in their most gorgeous dresses. 

*“ What does this nonsense mean ?”’ said the prince. 

‘* No nonsense, my son,’’ said the queen, soothingly. ‘‘ You 
may choose one of these beautiful ladies for your wife.’’ 

*‘T do not think them beautiful,’’ said the great prince; 
‘‘and, besides, I do not want to marry just now. If I should 
ever take a wife, she must look very different.”’ 

‘Weil, then, you may look out yourself for one.”’’ 

‘That I will, if I become so old that I think life tiresome ; 
but just now I will go hunting.’’ 

In this way spoke the obstinate prince, ate another big 
piece of his favorite cake, and went hunting. But the woods 
seemed so lonesome; he saw nothing to shoot, and when the 
sun was setting he was tired and angry, and turned to go 
home. As he heard, at some distance, a spring gurgling, and 
felt thirsty, he went in that direction. 

But suddenly he stopped, because, not far from him, he 
saw a fairy sitting beside a brook. She splashed with her 
little feet in the water, and seemed to enjoy it very much. 
The prince coughed, and she looked up, because she thought 
it thundered. Then she saw the prince. She did not pay 
any attention to him, but splashed on. — 

**You will catch a cold,’’ said the prince. 


75 


“That will not make any difference to you,’’ saucily 
answered the little fairy. 

Then the prince stretched out his big hand, raised her 
from the ground, and put her on a rock. 

‘Vou are very naughty,’’ said he, after he had carefully 
dried her feet. 

‘‘ And you are very rude,’’ said the fairy, and wiped a tear 
from off her cheek. ‘‘ My feet burnt so much; I had to walk 
so far, and am not used to it. I wanted to gather some wild 
roses, and the thorns have torn my wings; nowI cannot fly 
any more.’’ 

‘* And where do you want to go?’’ asked the prince. 

‘“To the rose-garden of the king; there I must water the 
roses before the moon rises; but I do not know how I shall 
wetthere. 

*‘T could carry you thither,’’ said the prince, ‘‘ because 
my way passes there. Look, my hand is just big enough for 
you to ride on, and I will carry you carefully.”’ , 

‘‘Oh, you are better than I thought,’’ said she; and he 
took her up on his hand. ‘‘ But now you must hurry, so that 
we are there in good time.’’ 

And the prince hastened as much as he could. But the 
fairy became sleepy, and complained that her seat was very 
uncomfortable. 

“Will you try it in my waistcoat pocket?’’ asked the 
prince. ‘The little fairy was so sleepy that she could scarcely 
answer, and the prince put her in his waistcoat pocket. There 
she leaned her little head against his heart, whose beating 
seemed to her like the ticking of a big watch, and so she fell 
asleep. When she awoke, she found herself lying on the moss in 
the rose-garden of the king. Behind the old trees of the park 
the moon was just rising in all her glory. 


26 


She saw the ei was very busy watering the roses. 
Now he had just done with it, and dried his hands. 

‘““You are very good indeed !’’ said the little fairy. ‘‘I 
am ashamed that I slept all the time. What can I do to thank 
you! > 99 

“That I ally do not cece ’? said the prince. ‘‘ But 
yes— Do you know that my parents want me to marry? 
You could marry me. You are just what I like, such a 
pretty little plaything !”’ 

‘‘{ should marry you! But will you always be as kind to 
me as you have been to-day ?”’ 

“Yes, you shall have a good time with me,’’ said the 
Prince. ‘‘ You shall live in a beautiful castle, and I will get 
you my favorite cake every day.”’ 

The little fairy gave him a butterfly kiss, and said: ‘‘ All 
right, I will marry you; but now put me again in your waist- 
coat pocket ; it is cold and damp here on the moss.’’ 

And so the prince walked home, carrying the fairy in his 
waistcoat pocket. The king and the queen were just through 
with supper, and welcomed him heartily. But when the 
prince wanted to speak about his purpose, his heart was beat- 
ing so loudly that the little fairy awoke on account of it. At 
last he had enough courage to say that he had now found just 
the one he would like to marry. 

‘‘Very well, my son,’ said his mamma; ‘‘ but I hope she 
is pretty tall.’’ 

‘“No, she is only a little bit of a thing, and that is just 
what I like,’’ said the prince ; and he took the little fairy out 
of his waistcoat pocket and put her on the table. 

His parents were so frightened that they could not speak 
for a while. At last his mamma said: 

“How? Such a little plaything you want to take for 


27 


your wife? Never shall we, and never shall anyone, regard 
her as a princess !”’ 

When the little fairy heard this, she began to weep bit- 
terly ; and if she had still had her wings, she would have 
escaped at once. 

‘‘And now she shall be the more my wife!’’ said the 
prince, angrily. And the next day he invited all his friends, 
and held his wedding. But the little fairy was not happy ; 
she wept the whole day through. ‘‘Oh, if I were only 
taller !’’ complained she, when she was sitting on his shoulder 
- and whispering in his ear. 

‘*Then I would not think you pretty any more,’’ said the 
prince. ! 

‘‘But just think, nobody will regard me as the princess! 
Oh, if I only could reach unto your heart! I would do all I 
could, if I could only grow so tall.’’ 

‘* You would do all?’’ said a small voice, which only the 
fairy heard. ‘‘Could you also give up the possibility of ever 
flying again? You know in a year your wings will have 
grown again; then you are free, and you can go wherever 
you like. But if you burn your wings out, so that they never 
will grow again, then you will grow until you reach to your 
husband’s heart.’’ 

The little fairy shivered, because she knew well how much 
it would hurt to burn her wings out, and how sad it would be 
never to fly again. But yet she loved the prince more than 
her freedom, and so she went and burnt out her wings. As 
soon as she had done so, she began to grow, and in a short 
time she was so tall that she reached unto the heart of the 
prince. 

All paid homage to her now as the princess, but her hus- » 
band still calls her his fairy, and from him she likes to hear it. 


28 


* 


Dg PIETER GP Seos 


LED ee igh Ha | SS 


THE CURIOSITIES OF PORTSMOUTH. 


Once upon a time there were some curiosities in Portsmouth, 
of which people like to talk about to-day. ‘There was a horse 
which refused the most delicious hay for the pleasure of eating 


dust; a goat, which ate nothing but newspapers, and a cat that 


was in reality no cat. She was not one of the smooth, pretty 
cats, with velvety paws, but she had sotrained herself to perfec- 
tion that she seemed to be above the others and would no more 


converse with other cats. She had done withall the good and 


bad qualities of acat, but with all thatshe had not accomplished 
much; while her associates considered her very conceited, 
people saw in her nothing more than acommoncat. Sheeven 
had no home where she wascared for and looked rather haggard, 
as she had to hunt for country mice to make a living. One 
day sie went to see the famous horse and goat, which were 
then shown in Portsmouth as something extraordinary. There 


were some strangers, looking in amazement at the horse and 


goat, which lived so differently from others, and yet seemed to 
prosper. The strangers seemed to be puzzled most, that a 
horse could live on dust; that the goat was feeding on news, 
was not so very strange. They only wondered how she could 
stand it. 

When they were gone the cat said to the horse: ‘‘ They are 
right; you have a very strange taste. I can force myself to 
eat grass, but dust—’’ 

**T do not eat it because I like it!’’ said the horse; ‘‘ only 
on account of my health. If I feed on dust, I shall never be 
returned to dust. I shall be an immortal horse. If mankind 
would live from dust, they would be immortal, too.’’ 

_ “*T do not believe in that !’’ said the goat. ‘‘ But one must 
be something extraordinary. I have not a special preference 


29 


for newspapers, and in spring I just long to eat some fresh 
grass; yet I withstand the temptation, for one must try to do 
differently from others, to be admired.”’ 

‘I, too, am something extraordinary !’’ said the cat; ‘“‘T 
have reached a rare point of perfection !”’ 

‘You do not look so!” replied the goat; ‘‘and, by the 
way, a perfect animal is generally considered stupid. If you 
had lots of faults, one would call you perhaps original. Any- 
how you must do something that attracts attention, and that 
no cat has ever done before.”’ 

‘‘Oh, I cannot get myself to eat dust or paper !’’ 

‘‘Do not meddle in our business!” said the horse and the 
goat; ‘‘as far as dust and paper are considered there is no 
chance for you!” 

Then the cat went away, and vine down in the bright 
sunshine she considered what she could do that no cat had done 
before. Not far from her was a little girl playing with a dog, © 
And seeing a piece of cake offered to him he sat up on his hind 
legs, tried to keep balance and moved his two front paws in an 
imploring manner. 

““That I will learn!’ resolved the cat. And it was not 
even hard for her to learn it. 

She stealthily glided into the next house, where the family 
were just enjoying dinner, and sitting down near the table, she 
did just the same as she had seen the dog do. 

‘*Look at that cat!’’ exclaimed the one who noticed her 
first. ‘‘ Have you ever seen a cat sitting up in that manner ? 
This is wonderful indeed!’ Everyone seemed bewildered. 
They kept her in the house, and in time found many admirable 
qualities about her, not to be found in any other cat. Soon the 
whole town spoke of her and she was placed with the horse 
and the goat as something remarkably strange. 


30 


much admired, she said to her companions: ‘‘I get tired of 
this life, and the nature of a cat begins to stir in me again. I 
should like to walk on top of the roofs in the moonlight, or to 
hunt a bird. Let us all go for an evening stroll on this de- 
lightful night in May!”’ 

The horse and goat were doubtful first, but at last decided 
to go along with her. ‘‘I know some meadows with the most 
tender grass!’’ saidthe cat. ‘‘ What do youthinkif I should 
lead you there?”’ 

‘‘In fact, we should be delighted to smell some grass 
again!”’ said both the horse and the goat. And the cat lead 
the way to the meadows. As soon asthey had arrived there, 
the temptation for horse and goat proved too strong, for they 
began not only tosmell, but to eat the grass. But not being 
used to this kind of food any more, both were seized by the 
most terrible pains ; notwithstanding they could not stop eat- 
ing; they ate and ate, until they were dead. 

Meanwhile the cat had indulged in her freedom and suc- 
ceeded in hunting a bird; and seeing the tragic end of her 
companions she realized how much danger there is in pretend- 
ing to be something extraordinary, and decided to be from that 
time on nothing more than a common cat. 


THE SUNKEN CASTLE. 


She was a ca- 


S GWE LZ === mented by her 
Re) aes (eee = = moods all who 
afi = }y———— lived around 
W*— "her, Every day 


she wanted something different and there was no one who was 
able to suit her. 

She had a handsome young page, who was so much in love 
with her, that he did everything she wanted, but though he 
was her favorite she treated him worst of all. 

One day when she was taking a walk with him in the wild 
woods, she saw a wonderful flower bending right over an 
abyss, and she sent her young page to pick it for her. 

He knew that to get this flower from the dangerous spot 
meant death for him, but he would even die in the true service 
of his mistress, and so he went to get it. When he was ap- 
proaching the dark abyss, he felt himself drawn back by a soft 
hand. It was a good fairy who thus saved him from death. 
She took him under her shining veil, and pointing solemnly to 
the distant castle, she disappeared with her burden. 

In a moment, while the fairy was pointing to the castle, it 
disappeared with a thundering crash, and a dense forest began 
to cover the ground where it had stood. The princess found 
herself lost in the wild forest, and wandering around for some 
days she finally came to theseashore. She could not realize that 
her beautiful castle should be lost forever, and more than that 
she wished to find her page again, for in the very moment 
when he seemed lost, she felt how much she loved him, and 
how wicked she had been to him. Not caring if she was to 
live or die, she took a fisher boat, which she found at the 
shore, and trusted herself tothe ocean. But the fairy who had 
taken her page from her protected her boat in the storm and 
made it land at Norway’s lonely, rocky shore. 

There was nothing but ice and snow around, the sea-gulls 
started frightened from their nests, and nowhere was a house 
to be seen. 

The poor princess hid in a crevice of a rock; she was tired 


32 


Sieh 


AG Le ROLE ES TR RMS Ae ge RE Ee Eee 
Tats Shes SS GK Siler 


se" eee OS See SS Sep ie 


to death. Not far from her was an old graveof a giant, and 
when the midnight sun was rising in all his glory, the grave 
opened with a crash and the giant came forth. He looked like 
an image of stone, and his long white beard reached to the 
ground. 

The princess folded her tiny hands, and said: ‘‘Canst thou 
not give meashelter?”? 

The giant silently led her into a dark room beneath the 
rocks and pointed toa soft bed made of sea-gull feathers, where 
she sank down at once and fell asleep. 

When she awoke, after a short rest, which had given her 
wonderful strength, she saw the giant busy polishing his 
rusty armour. The flickering light of a torch seemed to 
lend some life to his ghostly appearance. When he saw her 
awake, he took a drinking horn down from the wall, filled it 
with sweet gooseberry wine, and held it to her lips that she 
might drink. 

**Thou must feel thirsty, I suppose,” said he, kindly; 
‘fand this is a nice wine; itis from a shipwrecked boat that 
was to goto Bergen. And now I will get thee something to 
eat.’’ He proceeded to get some herrings and hard old bread, 
and watched how she seemed to enjoy this plain meal. 

When she had finished, he said: ‘‘Now, thou must tell 
me how thou happened to come here.” And the princess told 
him that she intended to go all over the world to find her 
castle again, which had disappeared from the place where it 
stood, and to find her beloved page, too, to make up for the 
wrong she had done him. 

“*T should like to help thee,’’ said the old giant, ‘‘for thou 
art brave. But Iam bound to this room and my grave. I 
know that on one of these rocky islands there is a beautiful 
castle buried since centuries. Every hundred years, one night 


as 


in June, the midnight sun shines right in the keyhole, and if 
thou puttest in the key then and turn it, the most beautiful 
castle will come up from the rocky ground. Iam sure it is 
much more beautiful than thine has ever been; and it might 
be that the fairy brings thy favorite back to thee, if she sees 
that thou hast suffered for his sake and art worthy of him.’’ 

‘‘But where can I find the key?’’ asked the princess 
eagerly. 

‘‘T know where it is, but it is hard to get; almost too 
hard for thee, frail and delicate as thou art.’’ 

‘*O tell me; I will try it.’’ 

‘‘The giant of the mountains, the guardian of the rushing 
waters, keeps it; his name is Noek. He sits on a high throne 
near the water and sings the most beautiful songs. Whoever 
hears him sing forgets to look out for the way, and find their 
death in the water. If thou wilt climb up to his throne with- 
out forgetting thy purpose, if strong by that purpose, thou 
wilt not let his melodies master thee; he has to give thee what- 
ever thou mayest ask him.’’ 

‘‘T will try !’’ said the princess. ‘‘ Ihave goneso far, now 
I must keep on. If thou wilt only show me the way !’’ 

And the giant pointed to a steep rock from which a wild 
mountain stream was tumbling down. 

“Thou must keep near the water,’’ he said ; and the prin- 
cess thanked him, and parted from her kind friend. 

She began to climb the steep and slippery rock ; her little 
feet slipped often and often, but she held on with her hands. 
While the spray from the waterfall was covering her delicate 
form, she climbed bravely upward. And like the grand tones 
of an organ the song of Noek filled the air. 

‘‘Go back !’’ it seemed to warn her in the song, and in the 
overwhelming roar of the water. 


34 


Lis Ronde 


“SRses c 


*‘Go back, poor creature, born of dust! Why dost thou 
climb up to powers that will crush thee? Go back!” 

“I can not go back any more,”’ said the trembling princess 
to herself, and kept on to the dizzy height. And the roaring 
song changed into the sweetest, softest complaint. In the 
_ transparent veil which rose from the water she seemed to see 
her page bending over the abyss to pick the wonderful flower. 
Must she not keep him back? No; on, tothe dizzy height far 
above. 

The song now changed toa song of love and filled her soul 
with unknown delights. ‘Therein the glittering water she saw 
her castle ; there in the glittering water she saw all that ever 
had been dear to her, and it beckoned her to come. But still 
she kept on climbing to the heights, and at last she reached it. 
The giant Noek was sitting there on his mighty throne, just 
as grand and powerful as his song had been in the beginning. 
But he leaned his harp against the rock and smiled. 

‘Thou frail, little thing !’’ he said, ‘‘ thou hast succeeded 
where many a one much stronger than thou has failed. What- 
ever thou art going to ask from me, I will give it to thee.” 

And the princess asked the key for the sunken castle, and 
he gave it to her. 

‘‘But thou must hurry,’’ said he, ‘‘ for there are only 
six hours left until midnight.’’ 

And she glided down the dangerous rock, and in these 
six hours returned to the shore. Making a last effort 
with all her strength, she rowed over with her tired arms 
to the island, where from the dark rock something seemed 
to shine like gold. She tried the key there, turned it, and in 
the glow of the midnight sun the most beautiful castle rose 
from the ground. 

Breaking down on the threshold, the princess was caught 


35 


in the arms of her true and beloved page, whom she never ill- 
treated again. 


HOW KNIGHT FRANK HAPPENED TO BECOME A 
DREAMER. 


‘*T will no longer carry 
thy train!’’ said the 
boy Frank, when the 
AN queen made ready to 
4 >) go to church. 

eN The queen dropped 
her prayer book in as- 
tonishment, and looked 
at Frank as he stood 
there, pretty with his 
\pouting mouth, and 
blushing in his anger. 
si oy 3 ‘‘And why ?”’ said the 
queen, puzzled with wonder. ‘‘ bBecance Iam no more a boy.”” 
The queen smiled and said: 


“‘Tf thou dost think thyself too old to be my page and to 
catry the train of my dress, I shall have to dismiss thee until 
thou dost return asa knight. But where wilt thou go?”’ 

**T should like to make a little sail-boat and go out in it 
for adventures,’’ said Frank. 

‘*But the sea is so immense, and thy little boat might tip 
over.”’ 

‘‘Tam not afraid!’ said Frank, ° 

‘‘ Well, I will give thee the wood for thy boat,” said the 


queen kindly. ‘‘And from my old white silk dress thou canst 
make the sail.” 


eo 


36 


ag tebe SS OROU BGs Rp or gee CRE AR ERT SRM ERG S| 
IES Ses Seer Ge Sees es. SMES 


*“You are very kind,’ said Frank. ‘And assoon as Ihave 
become a knight, I shall return to you.”’ 

In two days Frank had finished his sail-boat. It looked so 
delicate and frail, like a pretty toy, but how should it stand the 
storms of the ocean? Inthe evening while the queen was taking 
a walk by the seashore, she was struck by the same thought. 
She ordered her companions home, and as soon as she found 
herself alone, she called a sea-giant who was rocking himself 
on a wave. 

‘‘T want thee to carry my page in this boat to the shore 
where the fairy of the tales lives. There thou break his boat 
and leave him until he has become a knight. Then carry him 
back in thy arms to my castle!”’ 

The next morning Frank sailed in his boat out on the wide 
ocean. On his cap sparkled an emerald from the crown of the 
queen. But he did not think of her any more; the ocean with 
its vastness, with its ever-changing splendor, filled all his senses. 
A good wind was with him, and his boat glided over the long, 
smooth waves likeaswan. But after a few days a storm came 
up; the waves roared, and raged, and though Frank felt the 
magnificence and the grandeur of this storm, he saw that his 
boat was lost. It took not long, indeed, until it was crushed to 
a thousand pieces; was it the storm or the giant who broke it ? 
The white sail of the queen fluttered above the waves like the 
garment of a mermaid, and Frank was thrown unconscious 
upon the shore. | 

When he came to his senses, the sun was just rising above 
the ocean; around himn were scattered the pieces of his boat, 
The morning was fresh and beautiful. Along the shore spread 
a forest of gorgeous trees; the leaves were purple and golden 
yellow and still moist with rain, so that they sparkled in the 
sun like rubies and gold. 


37 


‘‘How beautiful!’’ said Frank, and he took a long, deep 
breath. ‘‘HereI should like to live!’’ and he rested his 
eyes with delight upon the shore and the blue ocean. ‘‘ How 
beautiful!’ he said once more. ‘‘I am glad to be on land 
again. For the present I have enough of the ocean. I guess 
I will go and look for some adventures.’? And Frank went 
into the dense forest, where there was no path, where the dainty 
autumn asters grew so high that they touched hischeek, But 
suddenly Frank found himself before a castle with towers and 
bay windows ; it was not built of stone, but of branches, and 
all covered with ruby and yellow leaves, only the entrance 
was encircled by a heavy growth of ivy. ‘There was not the 
slighest noise inside of this strange building; everything seemed 
to sleep. Frank silently crossed the threshold. ‘The leaves of 
the branches which formed the ceiling whispered as if they had 
‘many a story to tell, The first room which Frank entered 
was almost dark. A sweet perfume of violets and roses filled 
the air; in the large grate was fire beginning to sink into 
ashes. In the dim light of this fire he saw a figure sitting, 
wrapped in a black veil; she seemed asleep. It is time to wake 
up, thought Frank, and said, with his fresh voice, ‘‘Good 
morning !’’ 

There was a tremor passing through the figure; then it 
seemed motionless again. 

“This is very strange,’’ thought Frank, ‘‘ and the perfume is 
intoxicating. I would rather go again into the woods.” But 
when he returned to the hall, he saw there a strange company 
sitting at the table. ‘There were knights with long white 
beards, and ladies who must have once been beautiful, in cos- 
tumes of bygone times. 

An immense piece of roasted venison was on the table and 
a grey-haired man served the wine in a large drinking horn. 


38 


‘Thou art justin time!’’ said the knight, who was presid- 
ing atthe table. ‘‘Cometo our breakfast. Welove youth; how 
long it seems since my daughter had a pretty page to carry 
her falcon when we went hunting !’’ 

As Frank feit hungry, he did not wait for another invita- 
tion, and sat down. 

He did honor to the splendid dish of game, and emptied the 
drinking horn to the health of the far-off queen, while the lady 
at his side looked at him with curious eyes. 

But as soon as Frank had drank the wine, his senses became 
so bewildered. The knights and ladies seemed to become 
young, there was nothing strange any more in their attire, but 
his life as far as he could think of it, seemed to vanish like a 
dream. 

After dinner he went hunting with the knights, and carried 
the falcon of the knight’s daughter, and all seemed to be per- 
_ fectly natural. 


But when he came back in the evening, and again entered 
the hall, his company vanished suddenly before his eyes, and 


he found himself alone. 

A bright, firelight Jed him again into the mystic room where 
he had been that very morning. By the now gayly crackling 
fire there sat still the same veiled figure, but the veil appeared 
soft and white, and on the veiled head shone a bright star. 

The figure pointed to a footstool near her, and Frank sat 
down. 

‘‘Who art thou?’’ asked he. 

‘‘T am the fairy of the tales.” 

“Oh, I know thee!’’ said Frank. ‘‘I have known thee 
as long as Ican remember. Tell me again one of thy sweet 
tales.’ 

And he put his golden-haired head on the fairy’s lap, and 


39 


she told him her own story; how she was banished here into 
a strange forest, and how she was longing and waiting for her 
redemption. 

‘‘Could not I redeem thee?’’ asked Frank, when she had 
finished. 

‘‘Ves, thou couldst; but it is difficult.’’ 

‘*Oh, tell me how; I will try.”’ 

‘“‘Tf thou wilt be company to my guardians, the knights, 
every day, and if thou wilt sit at my feet every night, until 
the moon is full.” 

‘‘Ah, thatis nothing!’’ said Frank. ‘‘ That is just what 
I like!” 

‘*But it is not all,’’ said the fairy of the tales. ‘‘’Thou 
must never lift my veil, and thou dare not kiss me, even if I 
should ask thee to do so.” 

‘‘Tam sorry!” said Frank. ‘‘For Iam very curious to 
see thy face. But if it cannot be otherwise, and if I may kiss 
thee after thy redemption, I can wait until the moon is full.’’ 

Every day now Frank went hunting with the knights, and 
every night he was sitting at the feet of the fairy; and resting 
his head in the soft folds of her garment, he fell asleep. 

One night he dreamt that he held the fairy in his arms and 
kissed her. | 

He awoke; the fire in the grate was almost out, and the 
cold, pale moonlight covered the figure of the fairy. 

‘‘T dreamt that I kissed thee,’’ said he. 

‘‘ Why dost thou not?’’ asked the fairy softly. 

‘‘But thou forbade it to me, and the moon is not full yet.’’ 

‘‘Until the moon is full I might be gone. Lift my veil and 
kiss me.”’ 

**But my dear, sweet fairy, I would not redeem thee then ! 

‘“Thou lovest me not !’’ said the fairy sadly. 


40 


wr 2s SN 
S-2 a ew) SSS SH Te 


Then ‘vuntie lifted the veil and kissed her. 

The fire in the grate suddenly leaped up; a large flame 
stretched out towards the light figure of the fairy and encircled 
it. In the glaring light he saw the large sad eyes of the fairy 
resting on his face. The fire sank into darkness and he found 
himself alone in the cold, pale moonlight. 

He rushed out of the castle to the seashore. There trembled 
a flake of white foam before the approaching waves of the 
ocean. When he came nearer, he thought he recognized the 
garment of the fairy, and again he saw her large sad eyes 
shining from it. 

They beckoned him farther and farther out into the water. 

Suddenly he felt himself lifted up by strong arms and 
carried away. 

It was the sea-giant who carried him back to the castle of 
_ the queen. 

The boy Frank had become a knight, and honors and dig- 
nities were bestowed upon him. 

But he had become a dreamer, and not one of the court 
ladies could win his heart. In lonely woods and on the waves 
of the ocean he was looking for what he had lost. 

For whoever has kissed the fairy tales’ lips, can never for- 
get her. 


DIGGY. 


Once upon a time there was a little girl, 
who was left all alone in the wide world. 
Her name was Diggy; and when she was 
just as far advanced in school that she 
could read and write, her guardians said 
toher: ‘‘Now look out for yourself; we 
can do nothing for you from now on.” It 
was a cold and crisp winter day. Diggy 
wrapped her apron around her little 
hands and walked as fast as she could 
out into the wide world. And in walking 
along the woods and fields she enjoyed 
the splendor of winter as it had never been presented to her 
before. And where the woods seemed won-derful, glittering 
in snow and ice, she happened to meet a handsome prince. 

‘‘Where art thou going?” asked the prince. 

‘‘T do not know!” said Diggy. ‘‘I am going to seek a 
home.”’ 

‘‘Poor. little girl,” said the prince, ‘‘to be left alone 
amid ice and snow. Hast thou no one to protect thee?” 


‘‘God will protect me.’’ 

‘‘But Tam so sorry for thee!’’ said the prince. ‘‘I will 
go with thee and help thee to find a home.”’ 

And he wrapped her in his warm coat, and so they walked 
on together. | 

They had not gone far, when the snow began to melt; and 
the air seemed filled with a foreboding of spring, and the further 
they went, the more beautifulit was. ‘The woods were covered 
with the first delicate green, sweet spring flowers covered the 
ground, the birds were singing, and hand in hand the two 


42 


wandered on amid the wonders of the Spring. And more and 
more handsome became the young prince, and Diggy looked at 
him, her eyes wide open with wonder. But he kissed her, and 
said: ‘‘ITamthe Spring. Here is my realm; here thou shalt 
live and be happy.”’ 

And Diggy stayed inthe wonderful land of Spring. She 
played with the flowers, listened to the song of the nightingale, 
and to the tales which the elfs told her in the gentle nights of 
May. She lived in perfect happiness and did not think that 
her life would ever change. 

But one misty morning the Spring stood before her and 
said: ‘‘ Farewell, I must depart. Summer will come now and 
take my place. I loved thee and sometime I shall meet thee 
again ; tell me what I can give thee which you will remember 
me by.” 

‘““Thy flowers!’’ said Diggy, and anxiously stretched out 
her little hands. ‘The Spring filled her hands with his sweetest 
flowers. 

‘But they will fade soon !’’ said he. 

‘*TIs there nothing else I could give thee? ”’ 

‘* The nightingale !’’ 

‘“Yes, you will remember me by him!” said the Spring, 
and the nightingale flew on Diggy’s shoulder and sang his sad, 
sweet song; but the Spring kissed Diggy and departed 

All seemed to be changed after his departure; large and 
splendid flowers grew where the dainty Spring flowers had 
covered the ground, the air was hot and oppressive, and scarcely 
abirdsang. But Diggy sat by the brook and played with the 
last Spring flowers. 

In a splendid carriage the Summer passed by. ‘‘ What 
art thou doing here?’’ asked he, and the flowers in her hand 
faded from the hot breath of Summer. 


43 


‘‘This is not the time to play and to dream!” said the 
Summer severely. ‘‘ Thou shalt work ifthou wilt live. I give 
thee this piece of land; take care, that it brings fruit to thee 
when the Autumn comes.”’ 

And Diggy threw the faded flowers in the brook and 
learned to work. It seemed hard, because she was not used to 
it. The days seemed long and weary, but evenings the night- 
ingale perched on her shoulder and sang of Spring, and she 
closed her eyes and dreamt of him. 

Soon Autumn came and rewarded her work, by bringing 
her the most luscious fruit, and when Autumn passed, then 
came the cold and gloomy winter. And she thought, how she, 
once forsaken and alone, started out on a cold winter day, and 
how she met the Spring in the snowy woods. 

And now she had found a home. She was sitting in her 
own little house, heard the storm blow, and was happy. 

For still ever sang the nightingale; he sang of Spring, how 
beautiful he was, and that he was coming to meet her again by 
the Eternal Laws. 


HECTOR. 


Poor Hector! He did not have a big share of the enjoy- 
ments of other dogs. From his mother, a greyhound, he had 
gotten his jolly temper, a rather careless disposition, and the 
strong instinct to stroll around in the fields and woods. And 
with this longing for freedom he was condemned to live in the 
narrow streets of the city ! 

And not enough with that ! 

As the city was dirty, and Hector’s natural color was snow- 
white, he was led along by a chain to keep him from getting 
into dirt and mischief. Poor Hector! Because he was very 


44 


much like his father in appearance, who had been a bulldog, 
he was taken generally for a dangerous dog and people avoided 
him on the street, and were scared when he, in the joy of his 
heart, and because he wished to make friends with everyone, 
jumped up to greet them. 

‘*Look at the bulldog !’’ How often he heard this remark, 
though he wagged his tail merrily, to show that he was no 
bulldog. His mistress was a capricious little girl. Nice food, 
a soft carpet, and a walk twice a day held by the chain, these 
were the enjoyments of this dog, who was born for liberty. 

As he did not know how to do anything better, he slept the 
whole day long and dreamed of green meadowsand gatherings 
of dogs, and when he sighed very deeply in his dream, his 
little mistress pulled his ears and awoke him. ‘Then he put 
his head on her lap and wagged his tail, as if he were the most 
happy dog on earth. When his mistress was capricious, she 
would hold the perfume bottle under his nose, though she 
knew that he would become seasick at it, or she would show 
him a delicate piece of cake and then eat it herself; once she 
had painted on him dark eyebrows and a mustache and as the 
paint would not come off again, the poor Hector had to show 
himself as a caricature until the paint was worn off. 

One evening she had wrapped him in an old flag, and had 
great fun seeing him so ridiculously dressed. Hector, good- 
natured as he was, had at first participated in her pleasure by 
wagging his tail under the flag, but as this proved to be very 
inconvenient, and he could not, inspite of hisefforts, get rid of 
the strange garment, he began to feel offended, and when the 
bell rang and the little girl went to open the door, he made the 
best of the opportunity and escaped. Off he ran, and in vain 
his mistress called him. She felt like crying, though he made 
quite a funny picture as he was running off in that old, torn 


45 


flag. And he ran as fast as he could, dragging one end of the 
flag behind him. People who met him thought to behold a 
ghost, and dogs that were late on the street tried to avoid him. 
At last he was out of town and reached the fields, and the flag 
had been caught by a rosebush. He took it easy now and 
rested awhile. ‘‘ Look at the bulldog!’’ he heard a sweet 
little voicesay. He wondered that he was even here regarded 
as a bulldog. 

Wagging his tail he looked upward, where the voice came 
from. ‘Then he sawtwo elf-like fairies sitting on the branches, 
who seemed to be much afraid of him. 

‘‘T shall not do you any harm!’’ barked Hector. ‘‘I am 
the most good-natured fellow you can imagine.”’ 

‘*But thou dost look as if thou would bite us!”’ 

‘“Mercy ! You are much too thin for that, and besides, I 
only bite on solemn occasions. You can havea ride on my 
back if you like to.’’ 

Then a multitude of elfs approached and sat down on 
Hector’s back. 

That was a lovely ride across the meadows! When they 
had enough of it, the fairies said: ‘‘ Please stay withus! We 
just need someone to protect us against the dwarfs. ‘They 
come every night and steal our flowers, and it is useless on 
our part to fight against them, as they are so much stronger 
than we.’’ 

Hector was not very courageous, and he looked rather 
doubtful. ‘‘I do not like to bite,’”’ said he. ‘‘ And I might by 
accident kill one.’’ 

‘‘Oh, you look so terribly cross that you will have just to 
bark to frighten them off.’’ 

_ “That I shallbe glad todo. I like tobark. But now give 
me something to eat, please.’’ 


46 


sweetest honey, but Hector smelled at it contemptuously. 

‘“This is no food forme! Have you not some real bones 
for my supper ?”’ 

*‘Oh, no, we have no such things !”’ 

** Well, then, I’ll have to eat one of the dwarfs. Ah, there 
they come. We had better hide behind the trees.’’ 

Slowly and carefully the dwarfs approached, but suddenly 
Hector jumped from behind the trees and began to bark fear- 
fully. | 

‘Look at the bulldog !’’ screamed the dwarfs, and escaped. 
as quickly as they could. 

But Hector, who felt himself in this moment a perfect bull- 
dog, followed them and caught the smallest one by the tail of 
his coat. He clinched his teeth fearfully and barked: ‘‘ You 
are just the right morsel for me; Iam very hungry.’’ 

‘* Oh, let me live!’’ entreated the prisoner. ‘‘ I am the king 
of the dwarfs. Ican give thee immense treasures, precious 
jewels.”’ 

‘From such things I do not get any satisfaction,’’ said 
Hector. 

‘‘Or you can have a fried rabbit, which the cook is just 
preparing for us,’’ whined the dwarf. 

‘That is a good bargain!’’ said Hector. ‘‘A fried rabbit 
is a better food than you. Where is it?”’ 

‘‘There in the cave, to which you see the other dwarfs 
hurrying.’’ 

*‘Climb on my back !”’ said Hector. ‘‘ We shall be there 
in a moment.”’ 

When both arrived in the cave, the frightened dwarfs 
jumped on the tables and chairs, screaming : 

‘<The bulldog ! ”’ 


47 


But the king said: ‘‘ Thisis avery amiable dog. He will 
not do us any harm ; he will just eat our fried rabbit.”’ 

Hector with his fine nose had found the rabbit at once and 
made haste to swallow it. And as he felt always courageous 
when he saw someone afraid of him, he said grimly: 

‘‘T would swallow all of you, if you were more appetizing. 
But if you will leave the flowers of the fairies alone, and if you 


will have a nice supper ready for me every night, I will let you 
live.”’ 


Then the dwarfs promised all he wanted, and kept their 
promise; but Hector stayed with the fairies. 

And if you, kind reader, should go out in the moonlight 
over the meadows, and meet with a white bulldog, do not be 
afraid. It is Hector, the friend and guardian of the fairies. 


PRINCESS EDELTRAUT. 


Once upon a time there was a prin- 
cess who, when but a child was 
placed on a throne. As she was too 
young to look after the affairs of her 
kingdom she had to select ministers 
to do it for her. Soon the castle 
was crowded with ministers who 

: offered their services to Princess 
Hdeltraut, for it was very tempting to govern a large and 
beautiful kingdom, and perhaps the princess, too.. 

The princess declared that after a year she would decide 
whom of the ministers she thought most worthy to assist her 
in the government. And as she was but a child, she took all 
the advantages of being a princess and treated her ministers 
the same as she would treat toys. After the year had thus 


48 


SL ee en ee 


Sad Si a 


passed she had to declare which of the suitors she preferred, 
and being unable to decide in favor of one, she kept four to 
share the honor of advising and protecting her. Yet of these 
four she loved one best; but that she did not tell. These four 
ministers had to promise, then, that they would love and cherish 
the princess beyond everything, which, they declared, was a 
matter of course. Furthermore they had to promise never to 
propose to the princess to marry her; which they considered a 
rather hard case and reflected awhile. But after all they gave 
that promise too, for they thought in time they would over- 
come the scruples of the princess. For they were only minis- 
ters, with the intention of wedding the princess, and so become 
kings. Only one did not think so, and that was the one 
whom she loved most. 

In the beginning everything seemed bright and gay and the 
princess felt satisfied beyond expression, being thus loved and 


_.. Cherished, and having every wish fulfilled. But soon the min- 


isters began to bother her with jealousy, for everyone would 
have the first place in her heart; but she preferred no one. 

The first one complained: ‘‘ How can I love thee beyond 
everything and be true to thee, if I have to share thy kind 
feelings with three others? Send the others away, and thow 
wilt see that I am thy true and faithful slave.’’ 

The second and the third minister spoke in the same way. 
Only the last one did not speak thus, and that was the one she 
loved most. He had dark, dreamy eyes, and liked to sing 
beautiful, melancholy songs. 

One day when he was sitting at her feet and just concluded 
a song, she said: ‘‘ What beautiful dark curls thou hast! It 
just tempts me to wind them around my fingers.’’ 

‘“‘Well, thou mayest play with my hair,’’ said the young 
minister, ‘‘if thou wilt only not play with my heart !”’ 


+9 


The princess began to wind his hair around her soft and 
pretty fingers. ‘‘ How dare I play with thy heart?’’ said she. 

‘*Dost thou not so with others?’’ asked the young minis- 
ter seriously. ‘‘Like my hair thou windest all around thy 
fingers, and all must obey thy caprices. It was but thy caprice 
that we had to promise love and faithfulness.”’ 

‘‘Qh, now thou dost begin to talk exactly like the others !’’ 
said the princess impatiently. ‘‘This I am told every day; 
oh, I am very unfortunate! ’’ 

And she began to cry bitterly. 

He took her hands down and looked in her face. 

‘“Why dost thou look at me thus?” sighed Edeltraut, 
trembling with a soft emotion. 

‘‘T just thought how sweet it must be to kiss the tears 
from thine eyes!’ said he. ‘‘ But I dare not, for I am nothing 
more than your minister.” 

‘‘ Yes, and therefore please do not look at me any longer.’’ 

‘‘But I love thee so.’’ 

‘‘Oh, really, thou lovest me?’’ said the princess. ‘‘ The 
others have told me often and often, but thou never didst. 
Now wait; thou must write that down in my golden book, that 
I may be sure of it.’’ And she took a beautiful golden book 
from the table and opened it. 

‘‘TLook how many have written here how much they love 
me ; thou must do so too !’’ 

‘‘No,’’ said he. ‘‘If I were permitted to do as I feel, I 
should tear this book to pieces, showing thee, in acting thus, 
that I will be all to thee or nothing.”’ 

‘‘Oh, why dost thou hurt my feelings by speaking so?’”’ 
said the princess. ‘‘Thou art not better than all the others, 
and I will not see thee any more.’’ * 

The next day the poor young minister was banished. 


50 


ESTES eat eS Steal Sowa < ee eoe 


But after a few days the first minister came and said: ‘‘If 
thou will not decide to marry me, I will not stay any longer at 
thy court.’’ 


And she dismissed him. 

And the second and third minister came to tell her the same, 
and she found herself without any minister, for she did not like 
to bid the one return whom she had sent away. And as she 
did not understand how to rule so large a kingdom by herself, 
it was taken from her, and she found herself poor and all alone 
in the wide world. As she was sitting crying one cold and 
dark winter night, she felt a soft breath touching hercheek. It 
was her favorite who bent over her, the young minister whom 
she had sent into banishment; he had not gone far, however. 

‘‘Now I may kiss the tears from thy cheeks, for now thou 
art no more a queen,’’ said he. ‘*‘ Now I can prove how much 
I love thee. I know a realm where reigns eternalspring. There 

I will abide with thee, if thou lovest me enough to accompany 
me.” 

And she went with him into the land of eternal spring—of 
true love. 


THE TALE OF THE PRINCE WHO LOST HIS SOUL. 


Once upon a time there was a prince who was very careless 
and light-minded. He had squandered all his possessions, and 
his friends had helped him to get rid of them, and when his 
creditors came to take his golden bed as the last piece that he 
owned, he locked the door of his palace, and said with a laugh: 
‘May rats and mice live here from now. I go into the wide 
world.’’ But when he passed the park, he saw there his little 
sister sitting in the grass; he had entirely forgotten about her. 
She had her hands full of spring flowers, and looked at him 
merrily. But he acted as if he were not sure of her, and tried 


5% * 


to pass with quick steps. 
did not seem to hear her, she dropped the flowers and tried to 
catch him, and took hold of his hand. 

‘‘ Where are you going ?”’ 

‘‘Into the wide world.’’ 

‘‘And you will surely take me along ?”’ 

‘No, you have to stay here.’’ 

‘‘And what shall become of me, all alone?”’ 

“T do not know.” 

Then his little sister began to cry and to implore him that 
he should not forsake her, but he was obstinate and cold, and 
when she clasped her arms round him, he threw her off, so that 
she fell unconscious on the road. At the same moment it 
seemed to the prince as if he heard a rustling in the air, and as 
if his cheeks were touched by a pair of wings; but he did not 
pay any attention to it, neither to his little sister, but hastened 
away from his lost property. But strange it was, he suddenly 
felt such a poverty, such a vacuity in himself, as if he had lost 
something precious, yet he did not know what. 

As he had nothing to live off and was too proud to beg, he 
went to sea as a Sailor, and hoped to find there again his free 
and light heart. And he seemed to succeed because all liked 
him on account of his good and jolly temper. No one was as 
pleasant in company as he, and none so brave in danger; but 
when he was all alone by himself, he felt this emptiness; it 
was like a dark, gaping abyss, a darkness without an end 
—death in the midst of life. And one night the terror before 
this endless darkness became so great, that he left his berth, and 
looked for a place on the ship where it was silent and dark, and 
then he let himself glide into the water. He thought to make 
an end of this dread, but mermaids caught him in their arms. 
and carried him to the palace of the queen of the shells. She 


52 


batt | SNOB OLE (RS NENG AES REO ER ts Ng Ge? 
WES SiStD cs peter Ge Slee es ph ne) 


used to change all the souls who sought rest at the bottom of 
the sea into shells, and there they sang in low, sad melodies, 
the story of their lives and the hope of a redemption. 

“T can never transform you!” said the beautiful queen of 
the shells to the prince, ‘‘ because you have no soul. You 
belong to us.’’ Then the prince felt that it became lighter 
in that deep, deep darkness; he knew now that he had lost 
his soul, and in the same moment he felt the intense desire to 
find his soul again. 

The queen of the shells laughed, when he spoke to her 
about it. ‘‘ You are much happier without a soul,’’ said she. 

‘* But is there no hope that I can find it again?” asked the 
prince sadly. 

‘* Yes ; if there is someone on earth who weeps for your lost 
soul, then you would find it again.” 

‘‘Ah, there is no longer any one on earth who would shed 
a tear for me!” 

‘‘Yet you may try it!’’ said the queen of the shells. ‘‘A 
hundred thousand miles from here is a large rock in the ocean ; 
there flutter all the lost souls and wait for redemption. ‘There 
also your soul must be; but if only some one on earth weeps 
for you, will it recognize you; then it will take you on its 
wings, and carry you to the place where you will find rest. I 
will give you a carriage of shells, which can bring you thither, 
for I pity you, you poor, restless prince! And if of all the 
thousand souls there is no one who recognizes you, you may 
come back to me. ” 

Then the prince left her, to seek his soul. And he traveled 
a year before he came to the rock, to which all the lost souls 
were bound. That was a high rock offat the Northcap. Like 
the north light that appears in fantastic, changeable phantoms 
on the sky, so appeared the souls to him, as an airy, always 


33 


merce PU PE aR pre ARTs 
29: eo he Ate, ac ai = . 


AA tale ber A SITY 


changing phantom, and if he had not heard the sighs of com. 
plaint, he would have taken them for a waning mist. 

By thousands they gathered round him, and returned then 
with louder complaints, and the prince stared hopelessly on that 
rock of snow and ice, and every drop of his blood seemed to 
become ice, too. 


But then he felt himself suddenly lifted up and carried off 


in a quick flight, and a sweet sense of rest and happiness came 
over him. It was his soul who had taken him on its wings, 
and flew with him far over the ocean and far over the land 
until they reached the house where his sister lived. She 
opened wide the doors and wide her heart for him, and tears of 
joy and sorrow dropped down on his pale face. 

‘Now you will find rest,’’ whispered his soul, closed with 
a kiss his eyes, and flew redeemed to heaven. 


THE POOR COWBOY. 


poor that he had scarcely enough clothes to cover himself. His 
parents were dead and he had to take care of the farmers’ 
cows to make a living. Every one pitied him as a poor and 


54 


lonely boy ; yet he was rich and happy; for he had a cheerful 
heart and a fine sense for everything that was beautiful. 

When he lay stretched out on the meadow, when the sun 
was setting and the old willows seemed to whisper strange 
stories in the twilight, he felt deeply the charm of these hours. 

He had to sleep in the barn and when the moon shone 
through the broken window, his fancy did not allow him to 
sleep; but he would get up and go out to the beach, sit down 
under the white, slender birch tree and look into the glittering 
water, or up to the brilliant sky. 

One night when he was again approaching the birch tree, 
he found that it had been transformed into a fair figure, just as 
white and just as slender as the tree had been before. ‘There 
was something sweet and touching in the whole apparition— 
something so innocent and childlike. , 

The little cowboy looked at her with wopde a Tah : 

‘“Who art thou ?’’ asked he. | 
_ ‘The delicate figure took his hand and said: ‘‘ I am the poe- 
try—the poetry of thy country. I must hide in the daytime; for 
the farmers do not like me. I only go sometimes to see the 
old minister. I know he is kind to thee, too.’’ 

‘*Yes,’’ said the poor boy, and his eyes brightened up. 
‘‘Tf he comes across the meadow he has always a kind word 
for me. No one else is kind to me.’’ 

‘‘T know it,” said the poetry; ‘‘and I am sorry for thee. 
And because thou art alone I will bid thee company and play 
with thee. I will be thy friend, and if all forsake thee, I will 
be true to thee. Take and keep these flowers; whenever thou 
look upon them with the desire to see me, I will come, where- 
ever thou be.”’ 

Thus speaking, she put a bunch of flowers in his hand and 
vanished in the moonshine. 


55 


a 


But she came almost every night, and told him tales, that 
were as deep and wonderful as her eyes. Yes, it was she who 
made the poor boy happy, though he was wanting of every- 
thing that others needed for happiress. 

If he had not been born in so poor a hut, if the work that 
was in store for him had not been of the hardest, he might 
have become a poet, for a poet lived within him. 

There was an end to the happy dreams when he grew 
older; he had to work hard and seldom saw his fair friend. 
Struggling for life he becamea man. But still he kept his 
cheerful heart and stood steadfast and brave in the storm of 
life. ‘This storm took him away from the country to the 
crowded city. Love and wealth were not meant for him. He 
sacrificed his life to his brother and his only child. 

Whenever he longed for the companion of his youth, for 
the poetry of his country, he found her true, his best, his 
dearest friend. 

And after all the hard work and struggle of his life, death 
appeared before him one night asa kind redeemer. He sent 


him the friend of his childhood, the poetry of his life. She 


took his feverish hand and seemed so quiet and serious. 

‘‘ What dost thou bring me?’’ asked he. 

‘*Eternal rest !’’ whispered she. 

‘‘But there is one whom I must leave all alone!’’ said he; 
‘my brother’s only child. Promise me that thou wilt not for- 
sake her. ‘Thou hast helped me to overcome so much, that 
without thee would have proved too hard; and she is only a 
tender girl. Promise me that thou wilt not forsake her !’’ 

‘“‘T promise thee !’’ said the poetry, and with her soft veil. 
hid the solemn face of death that bent down to kiss him. 


56 


Ser PS Sh lates: 


woe CS hs wee DE Ce SS 


TWO SISTERS. 

Two sisters knocked at the door of a famous master of witch- 
craft. One was named Cheerfulness, the other Sorrowful. 

When they were admitted before the master of witchcraft 
Sorrowful bent down her knees before him and said plead- 
ingly: ‘‘Help us! Our parents are dead, our house is 
burned, we have nothing but the garments we wear. What 
shall we do?”’ 

The master of witchcraft pointed into the blooming land 
and said: ‘‘A thousand roads are open for you; you will find 
treasures on every one if you will seek in earnest. ‘Take this 
veil which will protect you in dangers, go out and try to find 
treasures, and in a year come back here. ‘To her who has 
succeeded in finding the most valuable treasure I will bestow 
a crown and a kingdom.’’ 

So the sisters went out to strive for treasures. The oldest 
one walked as if she were bent under a burden too heavy to 
carry, and she was sighing and complaining all the time, but 
the younger one walked with a light step and seemed gay. 
The one noticed the thorns, the other the flowers which 
bordered the path. 

But as they both proceeded, to one could detect any 
treasure. : 

‘‘Which treasures, dost thou think, was the master 
thinking of?’’ asked Cheerfulness. 

‘‘ Gold, without any gestion!” 

** And how can we find it?”’ 

“That is what I am thinking of all the time,’’ said Sorrow- 
ful. ‘‘It is clear that we shall not find it without an effort on 
our part. We shall have to work for it!”’ 

And when the sisters came to a large city, they settled 
down there and began to work. 


57 


Sorrowful considered her work a heavy burden ; Cheerful- 
ness sang in doing it and seemed to enjoy it. And she gave 
the gold which she received for her work to her sister because 
she thought it was too much bother to keep it. 

‘‘But think of the treasure that thou, too, must bring 
back !’’ said Sorrowful. 

There was a sunbeam gliding into the room; Cheerfulness 
let it play on her head, and said: ‘‘ That is gold, too! I will 
gather sunbeams !”’ 

~ “’Bhouw art foolish !’’ said Sorrowful. ‘‘ Thou thinkest of 
everything asatoy. Ifthe master should not keep his word, 
I have my treasure safe, whereas thou canst do nothing with 
sunbeams !’’ 

‘‘O yes, I can! I can please others with them. I can 
carry them in poor, dark rooms and make them light. Look 
thou for gold; I shall look for sunbeams.”’ 

Then the sisters parted, each one by herself pursuing her 
purpose. At the appointed day they met again before the gate 
of the master’s castle. 

Sorrowful carried a long and heavy chain of gold; Cheerful- 
ness, a net of sunbeams. 

‘* Poor sister !’’ said Cheerfulness kindly. ‘‘ How pale thou 
dost look, and how heavy this chain must be; shall I not help 
thee to carry it?’”’ 

‘*T could not trust my treasure to thee!’’ said Sorrowful; 
‘‘to thee who in this long time has not accomplished anything 
better than to weave a net of sunbeams.’’ 

When they both stood again before the master of witch- 
craft, the difference between them was more striking than a 
year before. Sorrowful looked pale with worry, the lines of 
her face were sharpened, her eyes red from sitting working, or 


perhaps from tears. While Cheerfulness, on the other hand, 


58 


was full of charm and life. 


*“You have chosen your fate now yourselves,’’ said the 
master. ‘‘ To thee, Cheerfulness, is due the crown. I will 
form it for thee with these sunbeams. ‘There is none more 
beautiful that I could give thee. Wherever thou goest, one 
will love thee, and thou wilt find a kingdom in the hearts of 
those to whom thou bringest joy. But thou, Sorrowful, carry 
on thy heavy chain of gold.”’ 

When he had thus spoken, the sisters found themselves 
again on the path from whence they had started a year before. 

‘‘Here our ways part forever!’’ said Sorrowful. ‘‘I knew 
that he would not keep his word.” 

“But he kept it,’? said Cheerfulness, all radiant in her 
crown of sunbeams. 

- Then Sorrowful slowly turned from her and started out into 
the dark, gloomy night, while Cheerfulness walked toward the 
‘rising sun, which threw a soft radiance over her form. 


FAKO., 


It was but a horse, called Fak. 
It was small and of arough and 
ugly appear ance; besides, it 
was wild and untrained, and 
when brought to the market, 
no one would buy it, for the 
other horses had been ingood 
care and looked handsome. 
But the young prince of 
the country happened to ride 
a across the market, he himself on the most beautiful horse 


ce 


ees 59 


ever seen, and noticing Fak6, he said: ‘‘ What a cute little 
horse ! and wild, too! I should like to try and make it tame.’’ 

Fak6 whinnied with joy, for of all the beautiful horses, he, 
the ugly, despised little Fak6, was bought for a high price by 
a prince. 

He came now into good care, and the prince himself tried 
to tame him, and Fak6 obeyed.him-in every respect. Being in 
such good hands Fak6 soon proved quite a pretty horse. Quick 
as lightning, nimble as a cat, he was devoted to his master like 
a child, and soon became his favorite. The prince liked to 
make with him long strolls into the wild mountains, and in 
the deep silence and grand loneliness of nature he often spoke 
with Fak6, who seemed to understand him perfectly. 

One day, when the prince, on such an excursion, was tired 
out from the rough path, he descended to take a rest in the 
shadow of a fir-tree, and tied Fak6 not far from him where he 
would find a good pasture. , 

As soon as the prince stretched sited out on the soft 
moss, he fell fast asleep, and he had a lovely dream. <A sweet 
girl approached him, took his hand and led him to a clear 
spring. Large and wonderful flowers were growing there and 
she picked one, filled it with water, and offered it to him to 
drink. 

Never had the prince before met with a drink that had 
thus refreshed him, but when he would express his thanks to 
the lovely maiden, she had disappeared, and he awoke. There 
stood Fak6 pasturing under the fir-tree; but the prince realized 
a burning thirst. 

“Look for a spring, Fak6!” said the prince. ‘Then Faké 
preceded his master, until they came to a spring; but it was 
an ordinary spring. The water did not seem to refresh the 
prince, and in low spirits he returned to his castle. ? 


60 


ET MEE HER UT SLIT 


mS Ee 


cet x 


gg Se et 


af i CT nd ll ee ead = Fs anit 
Pees x eS Se pa Bae PIF Re fa 0: 9p aes OS, 


neve ek. Bh 


The next day the prince again rode to the spot where he 
had the pleasant dream; but trying to sleep, he found himself 
so restless that he gave it up and approached Fak6. 

“My dear little Fak6,’’ said he, ‘‘thou must help me, or I 
shall die from longing. Dost thou not know a spring, where 
wonderful flowers bend over the clear water, and where a 
lovely maiden is the guardian? Come and show me the way 
thither.’’ 

Then Fak6é walked again before his master and they came 
into a dark and narrow ravine between the rocks ; a wild water 
was rushing through it, and there seemed no end to it. Some- 
times Fak6 stopped and looked ‘back, if his master could follow 
him, 

At last they reached a dark cave from which the dashing 
water came. 

Here Fak6 stopped and pawed at the rock. When he 
did so for the third time, the beautiful maiden, whom the 


‘prince had seen in his dream, appeared, took his hand and led 


him into the cave beside the roaring water. It was a long and 
dark walk, but the prince held the soft, warm hand of his 
companion and ielt happy. 

In the distance a gleam of light was seen which proved to 
be the end of the cave; the water became more quiet, the dark- 
ness changed into a dreamy twilight, and at last they reached 
the end of the cave and stepped out into the warm sunshine. 

There was the silent water, deep and clear as the prince 
had seen it in his dream, and there grew the large and wonder- 
ful flowers, and his sweet companion picked a brilliant one, 
filled it with water and smilingly offered it to the prince. And 
a calm and happiness filled his soul, as he had never realized 
before. But when he returned to his companion, she had dis- 


appeared, and he suddenly found himself again before the 


61 


entrance of the dark cave where Fak6 stood waiting for him. 
In a dream he returned to his magnificent castle. 

Winter came, and the prince tried in vain to find the place 
once more that would lead him to the wonderful spring. Fak6, 
too, seemed to have lost the right track, and many and many a 
time they started for the snowy mountains and came home 
without having succeeded in finding the entrance to the cave. 
The poor prince became ill from longing and grieving, and 
one morning Fak6 heard the grooms in the stable say: 
‘* There is no hope of recovery for the prince ; the doctor says 
he will die.’’ 

Then Fakdo, learning this, in despair broke out of the 
stable and ran away as fast as he could. 

The prince, who was just going to die, heard the clatter of 
the hoofs and asked if it was Fako. It was the first word that 
the prince had spoken for a long time. ‘The doctor looked out. 
of the window and said: ‘‘ Yes, it is Fakd.’’ 

‘‘Help me to live then a short time if you can,’’ said the 
prince, and finally leaned back in the cushions. But Fako, as 
fast as he could, took his way to the snowy mountains. 

The anxiety for his master’s welfare sharpened his instinct 
and let him find the right way to the cave. He again knocked 
at the entrance, ah, long in vain! At last the lovely guard 
of the spring appeared, and seeing Fak6 all alone, trembling 
and looking at her with pleading eyes, she at once understood 
the message and flung herself on his back, and Fak6 made 
haste to return to the castle. Meanwhile the prince had 
fought against the shadows of death. It seemed to become 
darker and darker around him, and he closed his eyes. But 
suddenly a ray of light seemed to dissolve the darkness, and 
opening his eyes he beheld the image of his dreams and 
love bending over him to kiss him. 


62 


alas OBOE, 
wate <> 


PESO? Sa 


And in that moment the shadows of death were all de 
stroyed by the glorious light of life and love, but, anxious still, 
he asked: ‘‘Thou wilt stay with me now ?”’ 

‘Yes, I will stay with thee,’’ said the beautiful maiden. 

And she became his queen, and made him much happier 
still than he had ever dreamed. 

And Fak6? What became of him? 

Ah! he had to pay that ride with hislife. It had been too 
_ much for such a little horse. When he was led into the stable, 
he broke down, and his master could do nothing more for him, 
but erect a monument tombstone, whereupon was carved in 
golden letters : 

“THE FAITHFUL FAKO.”’ 


“LONG AGO.” 


That was a queer fellow. His name was ‘‘ Long Ago.’’? He 
was dressed in a stiff, old fashioned garment, his walk was 
slow, his back bent under the load of years. How old 
might he be? ‘The wrinkles of his face were telling a thou- 
sand interesting stories, there was something of sadness and 
happiness at once in his smile, and his eyes seemed to shine 
with eternal youth. | 

‘*Long Ago,”——not youth calls him her friend; she laughs 
at him and mocks him, because he does net adapt himself to 
the times; youth does not understand him; yet for her will 
come the time when he will be her friend. 

Then he will say : ‘‘Do you not think of it, how you once 
mocked me ?’’ 

He is the best friend and consoler for all who are alone 
and forsaken, the queer fellow ‘‘Long Ago.’’ But not only 


63 


for those—no, for all who look back on the road which was 
spread with flowers at the beginning, and ended in thorns. 

He took me once along on his walk. It was just Christ- 
mas. ‘The boys on the street threw snowballs at him and 
called him names. But he did not care; he was used to that. 
‘‘ Life will punish them so hard for every insolence, for every 
injustice which they do to others,’’ said he. ‘‘ Also, I shall 
sometime make up my account with them, but not take notice 
of such trifles.”’ 

I stopped before a high, dark house. Only some of the 
windows in the first floor were lighted, and the half-opened 
curtains allowed a glimpse into the room. 

“Tt looks pleasant in there,’’ I said. 

‘‘TLet us go in,” said ‘‘ Long Ago.”’ 

The handsome room was pleasant, warm, and filled with 
the odor of the Christmas-tree and the burning candles. The 
children who played under the tree, paid no attention to our 
entrance, neither did the young couple who was sitting and 
talking in a cosy corner. But the old ones, who were sitting 
there in the big and comfortable chairs—what a hearty wel- 
come they gave to ‘‘Long Ago”! ‘They shook hands with 
him and placed him between them, and there was no end of 
talking. They seemed to become young again, speaking 
about times that were long gone by. The young couple drew 
near and listened, and the children carried their toys to the 
old people, and sat down on the floor in front of them, and 
looked with large and wondering eyes at the strange visitor. 
And then the old couple ordered some champagne, because only 
this, they said, was good enough with which to drink the 
health of so good a friend. 

‘‘ Now it is time to go,’’ said ‘‘ Long Ago,’’ and we con- 
tinued our walk in the snow-covered streets. But we did not 


64 


go far; it was right in the business part of the city where we 


_. entered a gloomy building. One of the offices which occupied 


the floor, was open still. Here weentered. Bent over the writ- 
ing desk sat a man in middle age, who seemed to be very busy. 
He only looked up hastily at our entrance, and then wrote on 
again. 

**Good evening,” said ‘‘Long Ago.’’ His voice seemed to 
have great power, for the busy man laid down his pen suddenly, 
rose and greeted us. 

**You have scarcely time for your old friends,’’ said ‘‘Long 
Ago.” ‘‘It is quite a little while since we have met.’’ 

‘‘Ves, [am kept so very busy,’’ said, nervously, the other. 
‘*One cannot trust all things to others, and my business grows 
stronger than I.” 

“But to-night is Christmas.’’ 


The other one laughed. ‘‘ For me there is no Christmas 
any more !”’ 
Once it was not so!’’ said “Long Ago.’’ ‘Do you still 


think of that Christmas tree that you helped trim in the pro- 
fessor’s house? Do you think of the professor’s daughter?” 

““Yes. Have you any news of her? Butcome, sit down 
near the fire ; it is somewhat chilly here.” And he poked the 
fire and drew up chairs in front of the grate. 

“But I will not interrupt you in your work.’ 

‘*Oh, there is time for that ! One so seldom sees a good old 
friend ; sometimes I feel myself like a ciphering book. What 
were we talking about ?—Oh, yes, of the professor’s daughter. 
Yes, that was a splendid Christmaseve! And how sweet she 
looked with the white rose in her hair.”’ 

‘*Vou loved her very dearly,’’ said ‘‘ Long Ago,’’ slowly. 
“It was hard for you to give her to your best friend; and he 
deceived you.’’ 


Geis 


‘‘ He is dead; I do not accuse him.”’ 

‘* And you love her still.’’ 

‘‘No, no! I have grown old and cold. I cannot love any 
more ; I love only myself.’’ 

‘‘ You think so?’’ said smiling “ Long Ago.’’ “Iam going 
to see her now; will you go with me?”’ 

‘‘T am kept almost too busy to go; but yet, [have not been 
there for a long while, and I would rather go with you than 
alone.’’ 

And so we went silently and thoughtfully along the streaks 
until a wide yard opened its gates, where the bright star-night, 
with all its charms, was glittering on the untouched snow. 

There was a handsome residence under the dark fir trees, 
and somewhat hesitatingly the two were approaching the en< 
trance. ‘‘ Wait here forme. I have to be alone with these 
two,’’ said ‘‘ Long Ago”’ to me. 

And I was walking up and down the alley which led to the 
house. ‘The branches of the dark linden trees were covered 
with ice, and sparkled in the moonshine. It was bitter cold, 
and I felt suddenly, as if I had dreamt, as if the little profes- 
sor’s daughter was connected very closely with my. own life, 
and as if I had walked under these lindens when they were in 
bloom. 

Closer I wrapped myself in my furs, cast another glance at 
the house under the fir tees, and went shivering home. 


JUST A MATCH. 


Yes, it was but a match. Not a safety match which only 
catches fire at its own box, lest they should burn on the wrong 
occasion, but a real parlor match, ready to burn whenever some- 
one should happen to strike it. But this seemed rather doubt- 
ful for the match I speak of, because it lived in a house where 


66 


Dee KG 


matches were rare, and so it was put in the parlor on a corner 
of the mantelpiece to be used only in a very critical case. 
There were costly and beautiful things in the house, the rooms 
were filled with bric-a-brac, even the luxury of fresh cut flowers 
was kept up all winter long, but matches were rare. The gas 
and lamps were lighted with a piece of paper ignited at the 
grate fire, and if there just happened to be callers in the hours 
of twilight, there was always much ado about matches. No 
one had seen any, no one could find any, and the caller, if it 
happened to be a gentleman, generously offered one of his own, 
if he was lucky to have one. So the parlor match in the 
corner of the mantelpiece thought himself very precious and 
enjoyed thoroughly his life. And it was very pleasant indeed 
to live in such beautiful surroundings, to meet with people 
who were always well dressed and always amiable, and to look 
at snow and frost through a lace curtain from the corner of a 
fireplace; to listen to a sonata of Beethoven, or a song of 
Brahms, and to the chat of the amiable people. 

It was very pleasant indeed, as long as it was new, but 
when the match had stayed in that corner for a long while, it 
did not view the life in a parlor any more so enthusiastically. 

The songs and the pieces were always the same; so were 
the topics of the conversation. 

The match began to think about its destination, and was 
afraid that it would never reach it. For the destination of a 
match is to burn; it is the primeof its life, and vanishing in 
the glory of a flame, it is something grand and wonderful even 
in a match. 

There was a young gentleman calling every Sunday at the 
house, a faithful admirer of the handsome daughter. ‘This 
young man was very timid, and his love, which he dared not 
explain, made him more so. His behavior, therefore, was so 


67 


of him, and sometimes just trembled with the desire to give 
him something of the fire and smartness of a match. It was 
in the twilight hour of a Sunday afternoon, when the faithful 
caller was sitting again before the grate with the object 
of his adoration. ‘T‘he lady of the house, who was sitting in a 
big arm chair near the window, and who had done her best in 
keeping up the conversation, could not help but fall asleep for 
awhile, as it was the time of her afternoon nap. The young 
girl did not know what to say any more, either, and feeling the ~ 
dark, glowing eyes of her admirer resting on her face, she rose 
and said with a timid voice: ‘‘I think I ought to light the 
gas.”’ 

‘*Never mind the gas,’’ said the young gentleman. “Ihave 
to tell you something which I never dared tell you in the gas- 
light. But there is something in the fire of a grate, something 
like poetry—something, I do not know what, but anyway it 
gives me courage to ask you something. I know that I am 
very awkward and timid ; just tell me, please, do you think I 
would be a very bad match ?’’ 

Then a sleepy voice arose out of the big arm chair near the 
window. 

‘“‘A match? There is one right in the corner of the mantel- 
piece, Lucy. You will have no trouble to find it.’’ 

And an angry little hand stretched out for the precious parlor 
match, struck it and lighted the gas. But she did not cast the 
match away after that; she kept it in her soft, white hand, 
watching how it was burning down in all its glory. 

Was she thinking what a pity it was to burn the precious 
match for this occasion? or was she thinking about the other 
match proposed by her timid friend ? 


CINCINNATI, 1894, 
63 


wn 


SERIES OF TALES. 


THE LittLe Lapy or THE CourrT. : 
How a TRUE Story BECAME A Fairy TALe 
THe MAN WITH THE Mask. ‘ 

THE SNow WHITE PRINCESS : 


THE LirtrLe RaliLroaD . } : 


Tue TALE OF THE Prince WHo Hap No HEartT 


Oup LipertTy BELL . > 
THE TAaLe OF THE GREAT PRINCE. : 
"THE CURIOSITIES OF PORTSMOUTH . i 
THE SUNKEN CASTLE. ; ‘ ; 


e 


How KNIGHT FRANK HapPrENED TO BECOME A DREAMER 


Diccy . s A - 3 
HECTOR 5 : FE A x 
Princess EDELTRAUT. : ; : 


TALE OF THE PRINCE Whoo Los? His Sov. 


THE Poor Cowsoy . * ° ° 
Two SIsTERs . . ° ° ° 
- Fako . . : ; . ° 
*“Lonc Aco” P ° ° ° 


Just a Matcu : . . ° 


ee 


si 


NOTIN IRAN IIN TNT 


NV AOINTINRVAN TIT) 


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By ANNA SIEDENBURG 


A complete book of instruction in the various 
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FIRIR TR GRAIN GR 


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